Emulation
by Avicenna Fabrica
Summary: Ben Wade enjoyed studying people, and the more he looked at them the more he saw.


Ben Wade enjoyed studying people, and the more he looked at them the more he saw

Ben Wade enjoyed studying people, and the more he looked at them the more he saw. Dan Evens was no different, and each moment he spent with this man seemed to pull back those curtains and allow him to see.

His first meeting, up on the ridge above the broken coach. He had met those pale eyes and seen the anger, the pain, and most of all pride. Yet, his mouth and motions had been controlled, even polite. In his mind, he imagined sketching his jaw line and the muscles tightening, the only betrayal of his pain.

Then in the saloon, he had watched the man holler and turn, anger radiating off of him. Those pale eyes rising to meet his gaze, startled the anger vanished. There was wariness, but no fear. Their exchange sent singing waves of excitement through Ben Wade; his fingers itched to sketch the rough fingers of this rancher twitching over the money, brushing the silver coins like they might burn him. The way those eyes flickered behind him; Ben knew that men were coming, and yet he couldn't step away. He couldn't look away as Dan Evens faded into the shadows, darkness creeping into those eyes.

Ben Wade let words trip out of him, goading, hoping to ignite those pale eyes. He had tried before and failed, Evens control had been complete at home in front of his family. Out here under the stars, away from the watching eyes of children and wives, he tried to ignite a fire. His silver tongue paid off as Dan leapt at him, eyes raging. Ben smiled; he could feel the tense muscles of this farmer on his skin. Ben fervently wished for paper and pencil, he would capture the way Dan looked crouching down, leaning over him, anger and power radiating off of him. Dan moved back, his movements lacked control, a startling weakness that Ben had never seen from this man. Silent rage seethed in his stomach, he felt like someone had just stolen his meal from him.

Ben had to admire Dan's control; fear didn't shine in his eyes, even with a shotgun trained on him. He watched as Dan moved, noticing the shallow hitch in his breath as he ducked for the gun on the ground. Yet, he knew Dan wasn't afraid of him, or for himself, it was for his son, with a gun aimed at Ben Wade's head. Ben smirked and studied the wrinkles that appeared as Dan took on responsibility for another life. He could imagine the soft short strokes of the pencil as he added those to his image of Dan Evens.

The pressure of his body created an opportunity to try and draw out Dan Evens. Standing there in the waist high grass, Ben knew the Indians were coming, he heart stuttered for a moment. Dan's soft voice startling it back into beating. He moving down, pulling the rancher with him, bullets whizzed past. Dan was thrown, a startled groan escaping him. Ben grabbed the rancher, and pulled him back. He ran his hands over Dan's chest, seeking blood and only finding gauntness. He fingers danced over ribs lying too close to the skin, pausing over a strongly beating heart. Then moving up to a collar bone and neck, he found the hot blood and followed its trail up the side of Dan's face. Leaning over the rancher in the darkness, he was staring into those pale eyes, hazy and unclear with pain. Ben would have studied the body of the man beneath him longer, but the sharp skittering of stones warned him that they were not alone.

That night alone in the darkness, he shut his eyes and remembered the feel of Dan beneath his hands, the pain clouding is eyes, and the betrayal that shone from them at the campfire. Ben shifted in the saddle and imagined sketching Dan's body; he could have imagined him as a well fed youth, muscle and lean flesh. Yet, Ben decided that those painful angles fit him better, they showed the betrayal that had truly wounded that man.

Ben stared at Dan, hoping –no praying that his eyes didn't betray the emotions that swept across him. His body was on fire, and not solely because of the torture. Dan's eyes shone with a darkness that Ben had never awoken. He spoke calmly, even politely, to these men. It reminded Ben of his first meeting with Dan, on that ridge. His eyes practically glowed as they escaped. Ben threw a pack of dynamite and turned watching Dan fire, the shotgun moving as if it was an extension of his arm. Ben felt awash with sadness for a moment, the lethal grace of this moment was not what he came to expect or imagine for Dan. No, when he did draw this man it would not express the darkness that seemed to fill this moment.

The bridal suite, how fitting, how very fitting. Ben lay down on the bed, trying to tempt Dan into releasing him. For a moment toying with the thought of tempting him into the bed. Ben crushed those thoughts, for a moment not wanting or needing any more pain. He could see the situation spiraling out of control and was content for the moment to watch the odds stack up against Dan, backing him further and further into that corner.

It was time, everyone had abandoned Dan and yet he was still here. Ben settled into the chair and opened the bible that had been left in this room. His pencil filled in the details of the past few days, and yet it was in this moment that he found how Dan should be drawn. His long frame resting in a chair, rifle draped across his lap. Those entrancing eyes were alert and calm, his long fingers twitched across the rifle like it was cold to touch. Ben shut the bible on his sketch and regarded Dan, the clock outside tolling three bells. Ben bit back the urge to take his sketch, he didn't need it to remember this man, and yet for the briefest moment he wanted to carry it with him.

Ben sat in the train car, chugging its way to Yuma, the blood pooling in his hand as it ran down his arm, giving him the ink to draw with. He sketched his last image of Dan, face upturned, triumph shining through those pale eyes. Ben swallowed and softly whistled, calling his horse after the train, after all while Dan had taken him to this train, he had never truly expected Ben to allow it to take him to Yuma. No, Dan had known he would escape, and yet he had followed through on his word. Ben chuckled harshly, and he had finally make Ben follow through on it too.


End file.
